LETTER XX. 



To Thomas Pennant, Esq. 



It is, I find, in zoology as it is in botany : all 

 nature is so full, that that district produces the 

 greatest variety which is the most examined. Sev- 

 eral birds, which are said to belong to the north 

 only, are, it seems, often in the south. I have dis- 

 covered this summer three species of birds with 

 us, which writers mention as only to be seen in the 

 northern counties. The first that was brought me 

 (on the 14th of May) was the sandpiper {Tringa 

 hypoleiiciis) : it was a cock bird, and haunted the 

 banks of some ponds near the village ; and as it had 

 a companion, doubtless intended to have bred near 

 that w^ater. Besides, the owner has told me since, 

 that, on recollection, he has seen some of the same 

 birds round his ponds in former summers. 



The next bird that I procured (on the 21st of 

 May) was a male red-back butcher bird {Laniiis col- 

 birio). My neighbour who shot it says that it might 

 easily have escaped his notice, had not the outcries 

 and chattering of the white-throats and other small 

 birds drawn his attention to the bush where it was : 

 its craw was filled with legs and wings of beetles. 



The next rare birds (which were procured for me 



last week) were some ring-ousels {Tiirdus toj^qiiatiis). 



This week twelve months a gentleman from Lon- 



76 



